Level-controlling device for liquid containers



Dec. 30, 1930. E. T.YTURNER LEVEL CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR LIQUIDCONTAINERS Filed Jan. I 3. 1927 awuemto'a EDWARD T TURNER.

v 61mm,

' In the accompanyingdrawings"Fig; l is a a Patented Dec. 30, 1930mean-m, or nay'ronomo LEvEL-conrnommq'nnvrcnroa meoinqonmmnns IApplication filed January 3, Serial Ito/158,711.

-Thisinvention-re'lates to a level'control-n ling device for liquidcontainers and iswdesignedmore particularly for use Yin'imaintaining aconstant level of: liquid in" the-brine generating tank of a watersoftening. apparams. 'The means for controlling the levelof liquid inthe brine tanks of watersoftening apparatuses" as ordinarily constructedcomprisesa float controlledvalve, the float being arranged either withinthe brine generating tank or in an auxiliary tank connected with I thege'neratingtank. In either instance the brine will crystallizeup'on'the-flo'a't and the associated mechanism to such-an 'extentas tointerfere with the" proper operation of the mechanism 1 I providea levelcontrolling device which will be located entirely outside of the brine:tank;

or other container;

' further object oftheinvention is to proa vide a levelcontrolling-device which will be" ,so arrangedan'd so connected with theliq-- uid container that thevalv' operating 'm'ech anism. willibecontrolled by the pressure of the liquid in'the-container.

fkfurtherobject of the invention is topro- I vide' such alevelcontrolling device which will be simplein'itsconstruction,-inexpensive to manufacture, {compact inarrangementand not liable to be-rendered'inoperative either bycrystallization of the brineor otherwise.

Other'objects of the'invention will appear as the device isdescrib'ed'in detail." 3

. side elevation; pa'rtly" 1n section, of a device embodyingmyinventionyshowing the same connected with; a brine tank; Fig. 2 is aplan? view ofaportionof the pressure operated dc: vice" and valveoperating" mechanism; and

' Fig. 3 is a sectionalview ofthe valve.

In these drawlngs'l illustrated one" embodinient of my iinventi'on an'dhave shown I tco'nnectedwith the discharge pipe 5 of'the [15 the sameasapplied to'the brine tank of a wastood that the device may takevarious forms and may be used for determining the'level ofofthe'containe'r and so connected therewith ter softening'a'pparatusbut'lit will be underj eration of the valve 4. The movementor In the present illustration of -the device I a v v have shownaportionof a brine tank 1 which is adapted to contain a body of salt and towhich water is admitted ior the -purpose of generatingbrine whichisdrawn out from the v i a a i the :bottom' thereofand the valve 41 isar- J One object of'the presentinvention is to ranged aconsiderableidistance below the top. of the-tank; I have therefore shownthe section 3iof the supply pipe as bent upon along the outer side ofthe container and the inner arm thereof extending downwardly from'apoint near the top of the container to a point near the lower end ofthecontainerr The containeris provided with a discharge pipe5*conhe'ctedtherewith at a point some distance below'the' normal levelof'the liquid therein and,fin the present instance, above the normallevel ofthe bodygof saltcontained within thecontainer. I p j'suitableoperating mechanism is provided for the valve t and is arrangedexteriorly that the valve vSwill be opened'and'closed as the liquid(falls and rises in the container.

Preferably, this valve operating device comprises a liquid receptacle 6whichis connected with the container'at apoint a considerable'distancebelow the normal level of the liquid in the container and, as hereshown,

the re eptacle 6 has an inlet opening 7 which isconnected with a pipe 8which in turn is the pipe 8 may beaconnected with the container in anysuitable manner. Associated with the receptacle 6 is a movablemember themovement of which will control the opposition of the movable member ofthe valve actuating device is controlled by the pressure of the li uidwithin the container. .The receptacle eing located below the normallevel of the li uid in the container and being connected with thecontainer below such normal level, it willbe apparent that the pressureof the liquid in the container will be transmitted through the pipes 5and 8 to the receptacle and will act upon the movable member of thevalve actuating device. It will be under stood, of course that thedischargewpipe" 5 is normally closed at a point beyond its connectionwith the pipe 8, asbyjmeansof a,

valve 9. The liquid receptacle 6 and the movable "member which isassociated therewithlmay take various formszbut, as here shown, thereceptacle is concave in form and its open upper side is closed by adiaphragm 10 of flexible material which constitutes-the movable memberof the valve. controlling de: vice. Preferably an annular member or ring11 rests upon the diaphragmabove' the peripheral portion of thereceptacle G-and. is rigidly secured to the receptacle by means of bolts12,- whereby the diaphragm is firmly secured to the receptacle at itsedge and a tight joint isprovided between the diaphra m and. thereceptacle." Resting; upon the d1aphragm10 is a plate 13- which isrigidly secured to.the,;-diaphragm--at the: center thereof, as'bymeansof a screw 14. This.

plate is of a diameter slightly less than-the diameter of the diaphragmand its lower. surface is inclined from the centralportionthereof-toward its edge,- thusleaving the diaphragm free to flex.,Mounted .on the plate:

6is'a. bracket 15 which, inthepresent instance, is secured to the plateby the screw 14. Pivotally connected with the bracket-l5 .is-a lever 16which is pivotally. mounted between its ends on a bracket 17 carried-bythe is suchthat when the pressure on the under receptacle 6 and, in thepresent instance,;se a-" cured thereto by means of one of the screws12., v The outer end of the lever 16 is pivotal-y ly connected with astem 18 of themovable valve member 19erthe valve 4 so thatjthe movementof the. diaphragm will be trans; mitted through the lever .16. to thevalvemember 19, Thearrangementof the parts side of the diaphragm isrelieved. theilatter will move downwardly under the weight, of the.plate 13, thereby moving tl1e..valve mem-' ermost position and close thevalve19, thus;

interrupting. the flow of water to the container. When theuvalve 9 ofthe discharge pipe 5v is, opened the flow of water through the dischargepipe will create a suction in the receptacle 6 which will tend to drawthe diaphragm downwardly and to quickly open the valve in the supplylinethereby immediately replenishing the supply of water in the tank.Preferably the valve 4 is rigidly connected with the receptacle 6- so'as to. maintain-the same ina fixedzpo'sition with relation to the valveoperating devices and, in

the present device, the clamping ring 11 is provided with'aradial lug 20through which the upper portion of the valve casing extends and in whichit is securedby means of a nut 21. I

While. I have shown and described one embodimentof my inventionl wish itto be understoodthat. Ido not desire to be: limited to theidetailsthereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in theart.

. Havin now-.fullyr-described my invention,

whatyI-c aim as new and desire. tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1-. The combination with a container for a liquid,,a supply pipeconnected withsaid container, and a. valve to control the flow of"liquid through said supply pipe, of a concave receptacle having opencommunication with said container atia point below'the normal level of.thegliqnid in said container, a

diaphragmextending acrossthe concave. side of said receptacle, aclamping ringT resting upon said diaphragm, means for. securing saidringto said receptaclev to clamp the edge of. said. diaphragm betweenthe ring and said receptacle, said ring having a part projectingtherefrom and adapted toen age said-valve and support} the same in fixerelation .to said receptacle, and an operative connection} between; saiddiaphragm and' said valve.fv

2. In a liquid level controllingdevice .for a tank having; a supplypipe, ,a-valve' insaid supply ipe, a' discharge; pipe connected.

therewit below I the norm level of a the liquid therein, and a valveinsaid discharge pipe, a pressure-operated device mounted ex-lteriorly'of-saidtank and com rising a 'li' uid level receptacle, and a.flexib e element 0 csing the upper side of said receptacle, meansforconnecting said receptacle with said dis-' charge pipe. between thedischarge valve and the tank, whereby when said'discharge valve is.closedthe pressure ofth e liquid in' said tank; above said dischargepipe willbe ex ertedon said flexible element and. when said discharge"valve is opened the flow of liquid atively .connecting f'sai I withsaidfleirible elementgj e 3..The combination wi h container, and avalveito control the flow of liquid throu'ghsaid supply'pipe, of a con- I .,fillliaiiierfor 4 upply 'pipe" connected with sa through said dischargepipe y will create a I suction said rece tacle, anfactuating de: vicefor. the inlet va ve, an dmeans forjoperactuating'f device.

cave rece tacle having open communication with sai container at a pointbelow the normal level of the liquid in said container, a diaphragmextending across the concave side of sai receptacle and secured at itscirs cumferential ed e to said rece tacle, a wei hted disk less diametert an said diap ragm supported on said diaphragm to yieldably resist theu ward movement there of, an actuating device for said valve, and

means for operatively connecting said actuating device with said disk.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signathre hereto.

EDWARD T. TURNER.

